I would like to point out that buying from ebay isn't all that different than buying from brick and mortar or from people you trust, but there are some differences. In brick and mortar you actually see what you are buying while on ebay you must either depend on the honesty of the seller or ebay's promise of buyer protection.
It is difficult to make this post because I in no way want to disparage FishCr8zy who not only seems to work hard to make customer's happy but seems like a genuine nice person.
But at the same time the question was "is it safe to buy from ebay?. in order to evaluate this answer I want to keep forum members attuned to how and if ebay protects us.
This is what the seller depicted he was selling. He/she used a tape measure to depict a healthy 8" plant. Nice plant, should survive shipment.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/111341840232?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Here's what I received
Not quite the same thing. As we all know the chances of keeping a 3" Val alive after shipping is not quite the same, if they survive shipping there's still more than a 50% chance they'll melt and the roots are not strong enough to support new growth unlike the 8" plant.
When contacted, here's the seller's explanation
"As is clearly stated in my auctions: "Plant photos are only examples of what the plant may look like. Actual plant received may be smaller, or larger than what is pictured."
Apparently the tape measure was there for kicks and not to depict a large healthy plant. I have filed a dispute with ebay and I will post the results. I have sent this link to the seller and invited him to the forum so that he has a chance to elaborate on whether his pictures should depict the product he plans on selling us.
This is all part of "whether it is safe to buy on ebay"? Will ebay protection protect us?
Whether they do or don't
does affect whether buying aqua plants from ebay is safe.
Thanks